The Hunt
by Grenaders
Summary: [WIP] This is a story of Hunt Master Dean on his Missions and his (mis)adventures. It's based on my custom Chapter and I'm somewhat a noob at writing. Reviews are Highly, HIGHLY, Appreciated. Warning! It will end up becoming Graphic. Also, if I butcher some 40k Lore tell me so I can hopefully repair it later on. Enjoy!


The rain begins to come to a halt. I lay on my stomach a top of a hill, jeering at a wave a Tyranids rushing by, awaiting my target. Another huntsman, Ourtanias, came here with me and is on a ridge across the mass of abominations that threaten the Imperium and the Emperor.

I hear a noise behind me so I turn my head with haste with my inferno pistol drawn. There I see a small animal, I think citizens call them chipmunks. I turn my attention to the Tyranids again and watch a Carnifex start to pass. Ourtanias asks through the Vox if we should take it down. No I said, we are here for a Tyrant and that's what we are going to kill.

Some time passes by without sign of a Hive-Tyrant, just other large creatures. Though we are reporting them in so marines on the front are not caught off guard. I turn my head and see the chipmunk again, it had seemed to take interest in watching the wave of Tyranids and had several items that seemed to be food. Kind of like how someone watches a pict film and eats snacks. I tell Ourtanias about it and he laughs. He then calls out that a Hive-Tyrant is approaching. I hold up a trigger in my hand that leads to a substantial amount of melta bombs set up to kill and keep other Tyranids from wanting to intervene in our attack.

Our chance presents itself and I hit the trigger. One second later, a glorious display of flaming promethium and screams of dying Tyranids takes place in front of me. Ourtanias and I rise from our positions and push forth. We kill whatever gnats are around and then engage the Hive-Tyrant. It is a quick victory and we run off with the skull. We escape into a cave where a librarian awaited us within so we teleport to safety with speed.

Upon materializing on a teleportation pad at a basilica, many marines and servitors move around to get duties done but had turned their attention to us. We take the Hive-Tyrant skull and lift it above our heads and whatever hunt brothers that were around cheered at the sight of the monstrous head as it oozed blood onto the ground. Ourtanias turns and says that something was moving in a bag I had on my left hip. I reach in and carefully pull out the chipmunk from earlier. It was obviously scared. I caressed its head with my finger and it seemed to calm down. The librarian that helped us approached me and said I shouldn't get attached to it. "Too late." I replied. Ourtanias then told me that I should at least talk to a hunt master about keeping it. So I do.

As I walk down the long hall, many guardsmen I pass ask if they may touch the animal in my hand but it never let them. I reach the barrack that my hunt master resides in and I knock on the door. He gives me permission to enter and I tell him the news of the Hive-Tyrants death. He is pleased. The Hive-Tyrant I killed today was my first, I had already killed a couple of BloodLords and Warriors. So if I am not mistaken, I should soon be put to a test to become a hunt master myself.

He then asks,"So, you give it a name yet?"

At first I didn't know what he meant until he pointed to the chipmunk now sitting on a Tyranid skull and ornaments on my left shoulder pad. "No sir I did not. He is actually the first thing I intended to ask you. May I have permission to keep him?" My hunt masters name is Tornate and he is thankfully known for being lenient, within reason.

"I don't see why not," he said,"But if you suddenly die I get to keep it."

We both chuckle to the joke as he signs paperwork granting me ownership of the new addition to our squad.

"Have you decided what to name him?" Tornate asked.

I think for a bit and then tell him,"Pacey." Which in old tongue meant, small and cute.

"Luckily we don't have imperial inquisitors breathing down our necks or else they'd kill you for having this chipmunk Dean." Said Ourtanias.

I look at my hunt brother as he hands Pacey some oats,"The inquisition itself is heresy against the Emperor. It is good the Primarch does not allow any to enter our territory and take influence."

He turns his attention to me and replies with a grin,"I think it will be fine if we are to let trigger happy lunatics kill off a third of our population in their crazed far fetched ideals of the Emperors teachings."

Another hunt marine in the room near us gives out a chuckle, looks over and says,"Don't forget about the sterilization."

Ourtanias then adds,"Actually I heard that all space marines in the imperium other than us are sterilized."

We both look at Ourtanias in disbelief and I ask,"Why in the Emperor's name would they do that?"

Ourtanias looks back at me,"No idea. It seems the imperium is a lot more screwed up than we thought it was since we regained contact. Probably because the Emperor hasn't regenerated to health yet."

I have heard that the Emperor had lost a duel against his son Horus but I didn't know the emperor wasn't healed yet,"So all this time he still hasn't gotten better? It must be the inquisition! They are keeping him from regenerating so he cannot lead us again!"

The other hunt marine yells out,"Those Heretics!"

We gesture him to quiet down but our Hunt Master Tornate enters into the room and added to the accusation,"Do not worry, apparently to our lords you marines may not be wrong. However, you shouldn't speak of this topic. Ever since we regained contact with the imperium, inquisitorial spies have been everywhere."

Ourtanias looks at me,"Well it is good to at least know we are not speaking of heres-."

Master Tornate interrupts him,"For us it is not heresy, to the imperium it is." he gestures to me,"You are needed."

We go into the large hall and walk to the command section of the base. We stop in front of a blast door decorated with an Aquila and is big enough to fit a contemptor dreadnought. Master Tornate looks at me,"Dean, do you have any idea of what might happen behind this door?"

I turn my attention from the door and look at him,"No sir, I do not. Should I be concerned?"

He heads over to the console,"No, but at times it is good to be cautious."

He triggers the door and it hisses open,"Good luck."

The door is completely open and revealed a large court room. I walk forward and instantly recognize that my Hunt Lord is sitting in the judge's chair bearing his ancient and famed cataphractii armor. I stop on top of a circular platform placed in front of the hunt lord. I look around and see that two lesser Hunt Lords are standing to the sides of the base of the chair and the room has many Hunt Masters staring at me.

"Huntsman Dean C. Bewen,"

I instinctively snap to as my name is stated by the Hunt Lord to my left,"Sir."

"Remove your helmet and unsheathe your weapon."

I do so and hold my sword in my hand at my side, pointing the tip forward so I do not chip it on the ground. I notice at the corner of my eye a hunt master write onto a data slate but keep them locked forward.

"Huntsman," says the hunt lord on in the chair,"I understand that today, you and your Hunt Brother Ourtanias have killed a Hive-Tyrant. Yes?"

"Yes Lord."

"We have reason to believe that the Tyrant you killed was the Tyranid leader on the planet. At the time it was killed, most of the Tyranids on the front started to loose focus and efficiency."

At this point I'm doing my best to hold back a grin of pride. Suddenly in the corner of my eye again I see a door to my left, open up. Out comes the head of the Tyrant on an anti-gravity platform. "Dean, brother Ourtanias gives you all credit towards the kill. He had confessed to staying back and not engaging the Tyranid alongside you."

He left me to die? Impossible,"My Lord, that cannot be true."

"Be quiet until you are permitted to speak!" Bellowed the Hunt Lord on my left.

"It is alright Denius. He is simply distraught at the fact Huntsman Ourtanias had betrayed him. Dean, at this point it is safe to say that you actually single handedly killed a Hive-Tyrant." He stands up and walks down towards me. "Kneel."

I fall to my knee and at this point I can barely contain my pride but manage due to the fact I was left for dead.

"I, Hunt Lord Ganit of the Emperor's Will Legion, hereby bestow the title and honor of Hunt Master to Hunt Marine Dean." He places a laurel crown on top of my head and uses his hands to guide me to my feet,"May the Emperor continue to guide and protect you, Hunt Master Dean."

I look into his eyes,"And may he do the same for you Hunt Lord Ganit."

The Hunt Lord smiles at me,"As your badge of office you shall be receiving a storm shield made to look like a Tyranid warriors skull."

"Thank you sir, I will use it well."

He then walks up the stairs to the chair. The other Hunt Lords salute as well dismiss me, I return the salute and then head towards the door I entered in through. The blast door opens when I am half way across the path and I see Ourtanias begin walking in. I stop right infront of him,"Why. Why did you leave me to fight alone." Before he could reply I continue to walk past him.

Yells after me,"Because I Knew Fear!"

The entire room is silent and every eye locks onto Ourtanias.

I turn around and walk back to him,"You what?"

"The Tyrant and I locked eyes and a feeling rushed through my body. I couldn't move nor speak. When we returned to the basilica I meditated to figure out what happened and I had realized, it was fear." The look on his face showed he was concerned.

"You only know fear when you stray from the Emperor's light." I said before I turned around and walked through the blast door.

The hissing of the locks stood and echoed in my mind. Because I knew I may not see Ourtanias ever again.


End file.
